Ladeez And Gentlemen: YOUR FY 2026 State Budget
The Joint Finance Committee concluded their mark-up two days early, setting off the annual round of self-congratulations:
Following this week’s budget markup hearings of the Joint Finance Committee, House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola, House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris, Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, House Majority Whip Ed Osienski, and Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman issued a joint statement on the FY 26 budget:
“On behalf of the Senate and House Majority Caucuses, we thank our Joint Finance Committee Co-Chairs Senator Trey Paradee and Representative Kim Williams for their steady leadership through this year’s budget writing process. Alongside their colleagues on the Committee, they worked with diligence and integrity to deliver a budget that reflects the needs and priorities of the people of Delaware. This budget doesn’t solve every challenge, but it reflects careful, responsible choices to support Delawareans—especially in a year marked by economic uncertainty and irresponsibility from the federal government.
“Amid challenging economic forecasts, we’ve crafted a responsible budget that balances fiscal responsibility with a commitment to our shared values: providing competitive salary increases to the hardworking state employees and public educators who keep Delaware running, expanding vital programs like paid family and medical leave, and ensuring universal access to free school breakfast for all students.
“Importantly, these feats were accomplished without drawing from Delaware’s Rainy Day or Budget Stabilization Funds, and without having to raise personal income taxes or create new tax brackets before the end of the fiscal year. That said, we know the road ahead may not be easy.
In other words, new tax brackets have been kicked down the road for at least another year. Because the fairness factor was not in the equation.
Here are the ‘budget highlights’, according to the co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee:
“Specifically, we voted to approve the following key provisions:
- At least a 2% raise for all education employees, with teachers, nurses, and non-administrator employees receiving additional raises as recommended by the Public Education Compensation Committee, continuing the promise toward teacher starting salaries of $60,000.
- A 2% raise for state merit employees.
- $33 million to cover projected growth in our schools.
- $1.35 million for residential lead remediation.
- $2 million to support victims’ services agencies who have seen reductions due to federal cuts.
- $61 million for the Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) Trust Fund to ensure quality healthcare for our state retirees and reduce the long-term liability.
- $85 million to continue providing healthcare to those covered by the state’s Medicaid program.
“In addition, the Committee voted to fund two central pillars of Governor Meyer’s budget reset:
- $8 million for the Literacy Emergency Fund, with priority given to schools that have the lowest levels of literacy proficiency and $3 million for direct support of classroom-based literacy practices.
- An additional $2 million in funding for additional vouchers with the State Rental Assistance Program.
“Every budget is about making choices – and that was especially tough this year with so much uncertainty at the federal level and forecasts pointing to slower revenue growth for the state.
“But fortunately, we were able to fund many of Delawareans’ top legislative priorities, including the creation of several new state offices that will strengthen public trust, improve access to services, and help save lives. These include the Inspector General’s Office, the Office of Veterans Affairs, the Grant-in-Aid Subcommittee, and the Office of Suicide Prevention. We were also able to allocate $3 million to cover universal free breakfast for Delaware students.”
There you have it. Seems like a pretty good budget to me…although it’s more than possible that draconian cuts from the Trump Administration may require additional action before we get around to the budget for FY 2027.
Whaddaya think?
Christiana Care Lobbyists Earn Their Money:
https://spotlightdelaware.org/2025/06/04/delaware-health-board-funding-pause/
I look forward to seeing the filed version. Meyer’s reset included many items unripe for this point in our economy, like $20M to UD for a Biden Hall. While both sides have their problems, I think JFC is more likely to offer the caution this federal environment.
And, while I know they rely on the DEFAC schedule, I was disappointed at the sheer number of “contingent on the passage of legislation” items they discussed given it was their decision not to push those proposals through hearings until very recently. Next year, I hope they consider the reverse action — let the bills go through their Appropriations/Finance committees with a section of language making the law contingent on funding. Doing it the other way around makes June in Dover even more hectic than it already is.
Although…having the mark-up done this early should enable the committees to work through those bills that were contingent on funding.
We should see most of those bills on next week’s committee schedules.
I, um, think.
If they’re not adopting Meyer’s proposals for the additional tax brackets and the revenue that comes with it, where are they getting that money from? Or did they just go without the additional revenue? If El Som already answered that, I apologize.
They’re going with the DEFAC projections that DON’T predict severe cuts.
Which is why I think it’s possible, if not likely, that we may have a Special Session at some point if/when these cuts hit.